Beloved: Authority

My word for 2011 is Beloved.

Along with Beloved, a word that has repeated itself lately is: authority.

As God's beloved I have authority.  The authority of a co-heir with Christ.

I've always hesitated to take authority.  Even in the place where that is the expectation of my position.

Why?

I don't see myself as being strong, of having the proper credentials.  I might have some of the tools, but I am always focused on what I lack. 

And to be honest:  I don't want to fail.

But knowing I am Beloved reminds me that even when I fail, God does not withdraw His favor.  Because He bestows His authority on me now and I am nowhere near understanding His love or authority.  It's a gift of His love.  Like the disciples in Matthew 10, Jesus sends them out with His authority, cause He loves them and those they would lay hands on to heal and deliver from demons.

Its not about what I lack.  Its about what he has given.  The authority I received generations and generations down the line from the first disciples who received the Great Commission

Love and authority.  Security and power.  Both life changing.  For me as I learned to be Beloved, and for those I am charged with the authority of declaring, "You are His beloved too."